Gaza requires 'sustainable solution that gives immediate reliefʼ to those affected: Jaishankar
Kampala (PTI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday said that the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip requires a "sustainable solution that gives immediate relief" to those most affected.
"Right now, the conflict in Gaza is understandably uppermost in our minds. This humanitarian crisis requires a sustainable solution that gives immediate relief to those most affected," Jaishankar said in his address at the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit at the Ugandan capital of Kampala.
"We must also be clear that terrorism and hostage-taking are unacceptable. At the same time, international humanitarian law must always be respected by all States. It is also imperative that conflict does not spread within or beyond the region," he added.
He advocated a two-state solution where the Palestinian people can live within secure borders. "Our collective endeavours should focus on making this realisable," he added.
The war between Israel and Hamas has killed more than 24,000 people on the Gaza side as affected people face pathetic living conditions sans water, power, food and medical aid.
On the other hand, Israel, which has seen 1400 plus deaths, insists on the release of more than 100 hostages still held by Hamas and continues pounding the Gaza Strip relentlessly.
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Sanjay Raut demands re-election, alleges irregularities in EVMs during Maharashtra polls
Mumbai, Nov 25: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday demanded a re-election in Maharashtra using ballot papers, claiming there were irregularities with the electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Talking to reporters, Raut alleged several complaints about EVMs malfunctioning and questioned the integrity of the recently held elections.
The BJP-led Mahayuti won 230 out of 288 seats in the assembly elections, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi managed 46 seats, with Shiv Sena (UBT) winning just 20 out of 95 seats it contested.
"We have received nearly 450 complaints regarding EVMs. Despite raising objections repeatedly, no action has been taken on these issues. How can we say these elections were conducted fairly? Hence, I demand that the results be set aside and elections be held again using ballot papers," Raut said.
Citing some instances, he said a candidate in Nashik reportedly received only four votes despite having 65 votes from his family, while in Dombivli, discrepancies were found in EVM tallies, and election officials refused to acknowledge the objections.
The Sena (UBT) leader also questioned the credibility of the landslide victories of some candidates, saying, "What revolutionary work have they done to receive more than 1.5 lakh votes? Even leaders who recently switched parties have become MLAs. This raises suspicions. For the first time, a senior leader like Sharad Pawar has expressed doubts about EVMs, which cannot be ignored."
Asked about the MVA's poor performance in the elections, Raut rejected the idea of blaming a single individual.
"We fought as a united MVA. Even a leader like Sharad Pawar, who commands immense respect in Maharashtra, faced defeat. This shows that we need to analyse the reasons behind the failure. One of the reasons is EVM irregularities and the misuse of the system, unconstitutional practices, and even judicial decisions left unresolved by Justice Chandrachud," he said.
Raut stressed that though internal differences might have existed within the MVA, the failure was collective.
He also accused the Mahayuti of conducting the elections in an unfair manner.
"I cannot call the elections fair given the numerous reports of discrepancies in EVMs, mismatched numbers, and vote irregularities across the state," Raut said.
